DEA vs VNQ: Correlation
How closely do Easterly Government Properties, Inc. (DEA) and Vanguard Real Estate ETF (VNQ) trade together? Their weekly returns over three years give a correlation of 0.68, which is strong.
Data as of 2026-08-27 · refreshed every trading day · weekly returns · methodology
How correlated are DEA and VNQ?
Over the past 3 years, DEA and VNQ moved with a correlation of 0.68, which is strong. Recent behaviour matches the longer record: 0.68 over 1 year against 0.68 over 3. Over 5 years the correlation is 0.67, and the annualized covariance of weekly returns is 290.8 %².
By 3-year correlation, VNQ places #5 of the 15 assets tracked against DEA. Their 12-month results are close: +15.2% for DEA against +10.3% for VNQ. Risk is not evenly split, since DEA carries 1.6 times the volatility of the other side.
How is this computed?
Pearson correlation on weekly returns: ρ(A,B) = cov(rA, rB) / (σA · σB), over windows of 52, 156 and 260 weeks. Covariance is annualized (×52) and expressed in %². Full definitions on the methodology page.
DEA vs VNQ: side by side
| DEA (Easterly Government Properties, Inc.) | VNQ (Vanguard Real Estate ETF) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year return | +15.2% | +10.3% |
| 5-year return | -33.0% | +9.5% |
| Volatility (ann.) | 25.9% | 16.6% |
| Beta vs S&P 500 | 0.47 | 0.59 |
| Max drawdown (3Y) | -42.2% | -17.5% |
| Market cap | $1.2B | – |
| P/E (trailing) | 129.4 | – |
| Dividend yield | 7.27% | 3.51% |
| Expense ratio | – | 0.13% |
| Assets under management | – | $73.1B |
| Sector / category | US Listed | ETF · Real Estate |
VNQ is a Real Estate fund from Vanguard: $73.1B under management, 140 holdings, a 0.13% expense ratio, a 3.51% trailing dividend yield.
Year-by-year returns
| Year | DEA | VNQ |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | -34.0% | -26.3% |
| 2023 | +1.8% | +11.9% |
| 2024 | -7.9% | +4.8% |
| 2025 | -18.6% | +3.2% |
| 2026 | +22.8% | +12.5% |
Calendar-year price returns; the current year is year-to-date as of the data date above.
Fund exposure
Keep in mind that VNQ holds DEA at a 0.06% weight, which makes a slice of this correlation mechanical rather than coincidental.
Are DEA and VNQ good diversifiers for each other?
Somewhat, no more. With 0.68 correlation, most large moves hit both names, and the diversification benefit stays modest.
FAQ
What is the correlation between DEA and VNQ?
Using weekly returns as of 2026-08-27: 0.68 over 3 years, with 0.68 over the last year and 0.67 over 5 years.
Is VNQ a good diversifier for DEA?
Somewhat, no more. With 0.68 correlation, most large moves hit both names, and the diversification benefit stays modest.
What does a correlation of 0.68 mean?
A reading of 0.68 sits on a scale from −1 (opposite moves) through 0 (unrelated) to +1 (identical moves). Correlation captures direction, not magnitude or performance.
Use this data
$ curl https://www.pairbook.io/api/v1/pairs/dea-vs-vnq.json
Markdown for the live badge, attribution link included:
[](https://www.pairbook.io/pair/dea-vs-vnq/)
Free with attribution; caching and terms are described in the API documentation.
Related comparisons
Hubs: DEA correlations · VNQ correlations
